Readout device



A ril 11, 1967 NQKONDUR, JR, ETAL 3,313,431

READOUT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 9, 1966 INVENTORS. lV/6HOLASKONDUR JR. BY RONALD H. MACK.

April 11, 1967 N. KONDUIIQ, JR., ETAL READOUT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed March 9, 1966 INVENTORS.

NICHOLAS KO/VDUR JR. BY RONALD H. MACK.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,313,481 READOUT DEVICE Nicholas Kondur,Jr., Northvilie, and Ronald H. Mack, Plymouth, Mich assignors toBurroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan FiledMar. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 533,079 2 Claims. (Cl. 235-61) This inventionrelates generally to accounting machines and particularly to numberread-out and storage devices therefor.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved numberread-out device operated by cyclical operation of an accounting machineto read-out and store amounts recorded by the machine.

Another object of the invention is to operatively connect a read-outoperating member to an accounting machine diiferentially positionableamount rack without need of gearing and similarly expensiveinterconnecting mechamsm.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of an accounting machine having anumber read-out and storage device embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line 3 -3 of FIG. 2and;

FIG. 4 is another vertical sectional view, taken along the line 4-4 ofFIG. 2;

. FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a detail;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view;

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross sectional view, taken along the line 7--7 ofFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is another vertical sectional view, taken along the line 8-8 ofFIG. 6, and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side view similar to FIG. 4, showing theoperating parts in another position.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, FIG. 1 shows awell known type of accounting machine having a supporting frame on whichis mounted a keyboard 10, a platen carriage 12, a printing mechanism 14and a main camshaft 16. In the conventional manner, the keyboard ismounted on the supporting frame forwardly of the camshaft16 and thecarriage 12, rearwardly thereof. An electric motor (not shown) drivesthe main camshaft 16 through a one revolution clutch to effect a cycleof operation of the machine, as is well known in the art.

The keyboard 10 has the conventional rows of amount keys 18, only onerow of which is shown, representing different digit orders. As is wellknown, such keyboards also include a motor bar to initiate a cycle ofoperation of the camshaft 16 which actuates and controls variouscomponents of the machine.

- Beneath the keyboard there is a plurality of parallel index slidemembers 20 respectively for therows of keys 18, the slide members beingmovable respectively by cam follower levers 22 which are actuated byearns 24 on the cam shaft 16. Movement of the slide members 20 islimited by the stems of depressed keys, and such movements aretransmitted through index levers 26, respectively to position arcuatestop members 28 to stop differentially positionable amount racks 30.Coil springs 32 respectively urge the amount racks forwardly, as seen inFIG. 1, and a horizontal bail 34, common to all of the racks, normallyholds the racks in their rearward positions shown. The bail 34 has links36 connected to opposite ends thereof and to lever type cam followers 38which are pivotal by cams (not shown) on the cam- 3,313,481 PatentedApr. 11, 1967 shaft 16. Thus, on cycling operation of the camshaft 16,the bail 34 is moved forward through the cam followers 38 and link 36connections which allows the spring 32 to move the amount racksforwardly until they are stopped by the keyboard indexed stop members28.

Forwardly of and adjacent the platen there is a plurality of laterallypositioned print heads 40, of which only one is shown, and each of theheads carries print elements 0 to 9 in vertical spaced relationship. Theprint heads 40 are respectively secured to the upper ends of verticallymovable bars 42 which are respectively movable by the amount racks 30through gears 44 to move the print elements to a print line positioncorresponding to the amounts indexed by the keys 18. A plurality oflaterally positioned print hammers 46 are located forwardly of the printheads 40 and are actuated under the control of the camshaft 16 to effectthe printing operation.

Each of the amount racks 30 is provided with the well known rack lockmember 48 which functions to hold the racks against movement during theprint operation. For a more complete understanding of the accountingmachine, reference may be had to the patent to Thomas M. Butler, No.2,629,549, issued Feb. 24, 1953, for Automatic Function ControlMechanism for Accounting Machines.

Mounted on the machine frame is our improved number read-out and storagedevice, designated generally by the numeral 50, it being understood thatone or more of such devicesmay be used for each of the amount racks 30.The devices 50 are contained within a box-like supporting structureincluding end walls 52 and a top wall 54, the structure extendingbeneath the racks 30 and being mounted on the machine side frame members56, as

shown in FIG. 2. As the number read-out and storage devices for each ofthe racks 30 are the same in construction and function, the descriptionis limited, for convenience, to one of such devices. The device 50 shownis for the tenths order or denomination and comprises, in general, acircuit board 58, a settable switch member 60, and a switch memberoperator 62 to set the switch member 60. The circuit board 58 isvertically positioned, and the settable switch member 60 and operator 62are coaxially pivoted on a horizontal shaft 64 which has its oppositeends secured in and to the end plates 52 only one of which is shown.

The circuit board 53 has an arcuate contact member or bus 66 extendingcoaxially about the center of the shaft 64, and parallel with the busthere is an arcuate row of contact members representative of thenumerals O to 9, as designated at their terminals along the leftwardedge of the board 58. A pair of contact members 68 and 7'0 are carriedby the settable switch member 60 and are radially spaced apart such thatcontact member 68 may traverse the bus 66 and the contact member 70 maytraverse the arcuate row of contact members 0 to 9 on the circuit board.The switch member 60, which is preferably a sector or segment of a disc,is normally held in its home or zero position by a return spring '74, asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The spring 74 has one end thereof connected toan arm 78 of the switch member 60 and the other end is connected to theswitch member operator 62.

The switch member operator 62, like the switch member 60, is a sector orsegment of a disc having an arcuate portion 80 overlying the arcuateportion of the switch member, as shown in FIG. 3. In the arcuate portion80 of the switch member operator 62 there is provided an arcuate slot 82which is generated from the axis of shaft 64 to receive an abutment orpin 84 secured in and to the arcuate portion of the switch member 60. Anupper extension 86 of the switch member operator 62 extends behind andengages a laterally extending pin 88 on the amount rack 30, and theoperator is urged counterclockwise by a coil spring 90 such that theoperator will pivot upon forward movement of the rack. It will thus beseen that the slot 82 and pin 84 provide a unidirectional coupling whichis effective to couple the switch member 60 and its operator 62 to pivottogether only when the operator pivots counterclockwise.

An arm 92 is pivoted on the fixed shaft64 and has an upturned end 94which is normally in abutting relation with the pin 84, carried by theswitch member 60. In the arm 92 there is a vertical slot 98 to receive apin 100 which extends into the slot and is carried by the operator 62. Aretaining clip 101 on the outer end of the pin 100 limits axial movementof the arm 92. A coil spring 102 has one end connected to the arm 92 andthe other end is connected to the operator 62. The spring 102 holds thelower end of the slot 98 against the pin 100 and the upwardly facing end94' of the arm 92 against the pin 84 which establishes the home positionof the settable switch 60 relative to its operator 62. The spring 102also provides a shock absorber for the settable switch member 60 onreturn of the latter to its home position. A cushion or rubber bumper103 is mounted on a lower flange of the container 50 in position forengagement by the settable switch member 60.

A retractable detent 105 is provided and is positioned to engage in aselected one of the notches to 9 in the edge of the switch member 60.The detent 105 is mounted on a pair of rocker arms 104, pivotedrespectively on the opposite end plates 52 of the container 50 formoving the detent between holding and retracted posi- Operation It is tobe understood that at the start of a cycle of operation of theaccounting machine, the switch member 60 will be in its previously setposition which, by way of example, may be the digit 5 position, as shownin FIG. 9. Also, the amount rack 30 has been returned to its rearward orstarting position by the bail 34 and is holding the operator 62 in itsstarting position against the tension of spring 90. Following theindexing of an amount into the keyboard 10, a machine cycle key isdepressed and at about 17 of rotation of cam 106, the cam rotates arm104 which retracts the detent 105. This releases the settable switchmember 60, allowing the spring 74 to rotate the switch member to itshome position. On return of the switch member 60 to its home position,the pin 84 strikes the upper end 94 of the arm 92 which causes the shockabsorbing spring 102 to yield and the lower edge of the switch member 60strikes the bumper 103 which further cushions the force of inertia. Thespring 102 now rotates arm 92 counterclockwise, facing FIGS. 3 and 6,until the lower end of the slot therein engages the pin 100 of theoperator 62, as shown in FIG. 8, during which the end 94 of the arm 92abutting the pin 84 moves the settable switch member 60 to its startingposition. At about 90 of the cycle of operation of the camshaft '16, thecam follower 38 is pivoted to draw the bail 34 forwardly which allowsthe operator 62 to pivot counterclockwise under the tension of thespring 90 until the rack stops in the position corresponding to theamount key indexed, which, for example, may be the 8 digit position. Thesettable switch member 60 has, of course, followed the operator 62 underthe influence of spring 74 and the contact 70 now rests on the digit 8contact. At about 200 of rotation of the camshaft, the cam 106 operatesarm 104 to pivot the detent into holding relation with the 8 in theperiphery of the settable switch member to store the number, the rack 30and the operator 62 return to their normal positions as the cycle ofoperation is completed. On the next cycle of operation of the camshaft16, the detent is retracted at about 17 of rotation of the camshaft 16,as described above, and the switch member 60 is again returned to itshome position. In FIGS. 3 and 4 is illustrated the example where thedigit 0 is to be read-out. -In this case, the 0 contact member. This ispossible because, in the accounting machine, the rack 30 does not moveforward in the case where the 0 is to be raised to the print lineposition. Instead the head 40 is raised to place the 0 at print lineposition by an auxiliary rack 112 and associated mechanism which is oldin the art. For a complete understanding of the mechanism and itsoperation for positioning the head 40 to print 0, reference may be hadto the patent to Thomas M. Butler, No. 2,629,549, issued Feb. 24, 1953,for Automatic Function Control Mechanism for Accounting Machines.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that we have provided an improved number read-out and storagedevice of a character wherein the formerly employed expensive gear trainconnection between the amount rack and the settable switch memberoperator has been eliminated. This has been accomplished by mounting thesettable switch member and its operator for rotation about a common axisand extending an arm of the operator to engage behind an abutment on therack. Further, durability is achieved by the provision of separate coilsprings respectively to bias the settable switch member and its operatorand by the provision of a shock absorber for the settable switch member.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for storing a number in accordance with the position of arack movable to any selected one of a number of positions representativerespectively of different numbers comprising supporting means, aplurality of electrical contact members mounted on said supporting meansand representative respectively of numbers corresponding to thedifferent selectable positions of the rack, a first arm pivotallymounted on said supporting means, a pair of contact members carried bysaid arm and settable by the pivoting of said arm into contact with anyone of said mounted contact members, said arm having a home position, asecond arm pivoted on said supporting means coaxially with said firstarm and in abutting relation with the rack, said second arm having ahome position, a filst spring urging said second arm against said rackin a direction to effect a pivoting of said second arm away from homeposition as the rack moves to a selected one of said positions, anabutment pin on said first arm engaging an abutment on said second armin a relationship to effect unidirectional movement of "said first armby said second arm to set said pair of contact members, said second armreturnable to home position by and upon return of said rack, aretractable detent operable to engage and hold said first arm in contactselected position, a second spring urging said first arm and said secondarm together and operable to return said first arm to home positionfollowing retraction of said detent, and a shock absorber positioned toyieldingly oppose return of said arm to home position prior toengagement of said pin abutment with the abutment on said second arm.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said shock absorber has athird spring and a third arm pivotally mounted coaxially with said firstand second arms and positioned in the return path of said pin betweensaid'pin and the abutment on said second arm.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1916 Goldberg235--6 12/1931 Watson 235-58

1. A DEVICE FOR STORING A NUMBER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POSITION OF ARACK MOVABLE TO ANY SELECTED ONE OF A NUMBER OF POSITIONS REPRESENTATIVERESPECTIVELY OF DIFFERENT NUMBERS COMPRISING SUPPORTING MEANS, APLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEMBERS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANSAND REPRESENTATIVE RESPECTIVELY OF NUMBERS CORRESPONDING TO THEDIFFERENT SELECTABLE POSITIONS OF THE RACK, A FIRST ARM PIVOTALLYMOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, A PAIR OF CONTACT MEMBERS CARRIED BYSAID ARM AND SETTABLE BY THE PIVOTING OF SAID ARM INTO CONTACT WITH ANYONE OF SAID MOUNTED CONTACT MEMBERS, SAID ARM HAVING A HOME POSITION, ASECOND ARM PIVOTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS COAXIALLY WITH SAID FIRSTARM AND IN ABUTTING RELATION WITH THE RACK, SAID SECOND ARM HAVING AHOME POSITION, A FIRST SPRING URGING SAID SECOND ARM AGAINST SAID RACKIN A DIRECTION TO EFFECT A PIVOTING OF SAID SECOND ARM AWAY FROM HOMEPOSITION AS THE RACK MOVES TO A SELECTED ONE OF SAID POSITIONS, ANABUTMENT PIN ON SAID FIRST ARM ENGAGING AN ABUTMENT ON SAID SECOND ARMIN A RELATIONSHIP TO EFFECT UNIDIRECTIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST ARM BYSAID SECOND ARM TO SET SAID PAIR OF CONTACT MEMBERS, SAID SECOND ARMRETURNABLE TO HOME POSITION BY AND UPON RETURN OF SAID RACK, ARETRACTABLE DETENT OPERABLE TO ENGAGE AND HOLD SAID FIRST ARM IN CONTACTSELECTED POSITION, A SECOND SPRING URGING SAID FIRST ARM AND SAID SECONDARM TOGETHER AND OPERABLE TO RETURN SAID FIRST ARM TO HOME POSITIONFOLLOWING RETRACTION OF SAID DETENT, AND A SHOCK ABSORBER POSITIONED TOYIELDINGLY OPPOSE RETURN OF SAID ARM TO HOME POSITION PRIOR TOENGAGEMENT OF SAID PIN ABUTMENT WITH THE ABUTMENT ON SAID SECOND ARM.